HKFA

fine and not so fine paintings, sculpture, frames, etc

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HKFA

fine and not so fine paintings, sculpture, frames, etc

NOW. HERE. THIS.

Remember last week when I mentioned there was a chill in the air? Well this weekend was downright cold! Buying was good over the weekend with three interesting purchases - two on Sunday and one on Saturday. There was a nice mix of dealers this weekend and it was nice to see both familiar and unfamiliar faces. In fact, two of my purchases all came from folks with whom I had not yet done business!

Definitely something that I'll have to remove from the frame so I can take a closer look!

December 5th, 2016

My first purchase on Saturday morning was an interesting gouache / pen and ink / watercolor done in shades of black. It's a city scene showing a very busy sidewalk. The piece is signed Marin. The work is very expressive with both light and dark brushstrokes. Definitely something that I'll have to remove from the frame so I can take a closer look! You know how I love a mystery!!! The rest of Saturday I purchased a couple items for our home, one is an elephant statue and the other is a hand in heart antique brass bottle opener - cheers! Then on Sunday, I bought two things - a painting and a rug. The painting is an oil on canvas and dates to the circa 1970's. It's a beach scene done in a very minimalist way with a neutral color palette. It's in a square format and measures about 3 feet by 3 feet. I bought this while it was still a bit dark - it was leaning against a fence, but underneath a collection of another artist's work. This artist was from Queens. The works were interesting. Next up, well after the sun had made an appearance, I bought a vibrant geometric pattern rug runner. It measures about 8 feet long and 2 feet wide. I absolutely loved the colors and scale as soon as I laid eyes on it. There is a checkerboard type design down either side and a diamond style pattern down the center. It has a great look!

With three great new additions to my inventory, I'll be shopping and selling the week ahead! But all work and no play definitely make for a dull antique dealer, so I made sure to do some other stuff too - visit with friends, pick out the Christmas tree and enjoy time at home. I have stay on my toes for next weekend!

HKFA MAGAZINE

HKFA ON 1STDIBS

With over 2 and a half million visits per month, 1stdibs is the undisputed leader in online sales of vintage, antique, modern and contemporary furnishings. Their trendsetting strength in the market has elicited a large number of sites to enter the market with some dealers selling on multiple platforms. I'm proud to say that my 1stdibs storefront is my only online sales presence. My 1stdibs storefront allows me to reach a worldwide audience of collectors, designers and other dealers.

My 1stdibs storefront allows me to reach a worldwide audience of collectors, designers and other dealers.

Heather Karlie

The sales platform allows me to post my vintage, antique, modern and contemporary finds that I have sourced on the very same day. The items I'm sourcing and posting are truly fresh to the market. Being on the site has allowed me to grow my base of clients and the 1stdibs software affords my clients the luxury of being informed when I post new pieces to my storefront. With my storefront, I can share a bit of the backstory to my business, creating a personal touch to connect with my online clients.

Let's shop! Fresh to the market finds, contemporary art, eclectic vintage, one of a kind antiques - the 20th Century by HKFA storefront on 1stdibs has a tantalizing array of beautiful items. Click on any of the 1stdibs links to connect to my storefront and see what's mine now, but should be yours with a click of a button!

FRESH VINTAGE, ANTIQUE, MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY DESIGN

All the fresh, fun news from Modern Look Book, 20th Century by HKFA and Heather Karlie Fine Art can be in your inbox by clicking here and signing up for the newsletter. Packed with great images, antique show and flea market schedules, 1stdibs sales, fresh finds and so much more. Let's stay in touch. Get on the list and in the know!

MODERN LOOK BOOK

Modern Look Book is your entry into the world of vintage, antique, modern and contemporary finds presented in today's top interior design projects. I developed he Modern Look Book concept as a place to share some of my favorite finds as they go from early morning flea market score to the interiors of some of the world's top designers. Additionally, I wanted to share the talents of my friends and colleagues - artists, designers, entrepreneurs - and promote their work. Modern Look Book blends vintage with contemporary, antique with modern and shares the spotlight for all.

The Modern Look Book concept was born out of a necessity - the need to bring vintage and antique into contemporary settings. Plus, it's a great way to showcase the amazing work of my friends!

Heather Karlie

I've seen the home furnishings industry change at a pretty fast clip over the past few years, as well as watching the antiques business take a turn also. I knew there had to be a way to bring these two worlds together. The Modern Look Book concept was born out of a necessity - the need to bring vintage and antique into contemporary settings. Plus, it's a great way to showcase the amazing work of my friends! Being a dealer in vintage and antique finds allows me so many wonderful opportunities to learn about a new category every time I'm out shopping - it's a big part of why I am a dealer. Also, so many of my friends and colleagues are in arts related fields. I wanted to bring their talents into the interiors for which I was sourcing antique and vintage finds.

I'm happy to say the debut of Modern Look Book was a huge success with sales and exposure for everyone involved. Clintel Steed, Michael Penn and Montauk Style all made the debut a big hit. Continuing with these relationships, and building more, is integral to the success of Modern Look Book. Click on any of their names to go to their sites and see more.

20TH CENTURY BY HKFA

20th Century by HKFA is rooted in those first years in Manhattan when I was a dealer in antique, period and modernist style picture frames. As the years went on, my eye became drawn to art, furniture, lighting, case goods, accessories, you name it! I was now a regular exhibitor at the Pier Antique Shows and the downtown Armory Antique Shows. My client roster was growing and so was my family.

20th Century by HKFA is rooted in those first years in Manhattan when I was a dealer in antique, period and modernist style picture frames.

Heather Karlie

I met my husband while waitressing (because everyone in New York City has more than one job) and we welcomed our first daughter in 2008. Buying and selling continued to grow and so did our family. We welcomed our second daughter in 2009. New York City had given me a profession and a family. Life was wonderful. By then we were living in the same tiny West Village studio apartment that I had moved into back in 2002 and it has become just a bit too small for the four of us. So we pulled up stakes and moved to Cidade Maravilhosa, Rio de Janeiro. My husband is a true Carioca and I immediately fell in love with the rhythm and beauty of Rio. I discovered Praca Quinze, the famed flea market, as well as a new passion - Brazilian modernist furniture. I had soon bought enough to fill a container and ship it back to New York City. The market was ripe for the ultra fresh, ultra exclusive finds. We slowly wound our way back to the States and settled in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Beautiful scenery with the added bonus of proximity to New York City, we were enjoying it all. After a couple years there we headed to my hometown of Philadelphia. Home of Rocky, the cheesesteak and our Founding Fathers. It was a great move as the buying in Philly was particularly strong. We then went North and explored the South Shore of Boston for a spell - only to be greeted with one of the harshest winters on record and enjoyed about ten feet of snow in that first year! As always, I made the best of it and found some really wonderful places to source great vintage, modern and antique finds.

But, my heart drew me and my family back to New York City! With a great (small) two bedroom apartment on the Upper East Side and a storage / showroom on East 91st Street - 20th Century by HKFA / Modern Look Book / Heather Karlie Fine Art is back where it all began!!!

HKFA

In a 341 square foot apartment packed to the walls with fine antique picture frames in New York's West Village, Heather Karlie Fine Art was founded in 2002. I had moved to New York City with the dream of becoming an antique dealer. With a six month sublet and six hundred dollars, I set out into the City that Never Sleeps. It was here that I happened upon the world famous 26th Street flea market. Every weekend dealers brought their freshest finds and the buyers lined up with flash lights in hand to buy them. I had found my passion in antique and period picture frames, so I became a specialist.

The reception was warm and I soon found myself schlepping armfuls of frames on the 1 train…

Heather Karlie

Reaching out to Manhattan's elite Upper East Side art galleries, I asked for appointments to show them my inventory of picture frames. The reception was warm and I soon found myself schlepping armfuls of frames on the 1 train to Union Square, then changing to the 6 train uptown. Yes. I started my business with a MetroCard. Only a few times was I actually asked to leave the train, most times it was smooth sailing and an interesting ride to boot. It's not everyday when you see someone with ten antique frames on their shoulders. Not even for so called 'jaded' New Yorkers. I had a business. And an awesome opportunity. Pablo Picasso is quoted as saying, "Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working". Well, if you ask me, New York City is the home of inspiration!

I had established myself as a serious dealer in fine picture frames and found my clients throughout the coveted Upper East Side and all along upper Madison Avenue. With a selection of frames on my shoulder and a swipe of my MetroCard I was transported from my studio apartment in the West Village to another world. A world of Picassos and Kandinskys, Cassats and Sargents, Titians and Tintorettos... it was magical.

You know it's art when the check clears

Andy Warhol

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

20th Century by HKFA was the next step from my New York City based antique picture frame sourcing business, Heather Karlie Fine Art. After a few years of sourcing, buying and selling antique, period and modernist style frames, I began to deal in furniture, furnishings, lighting, art, sculpture… And so 20th Century by HKFA was born. Click here to see more!

Modern Look Book started in 2015 as a new approach to vintage - making it modern. I wanted to mix in great modern and contemporary design, art and brands in vintage interiors. I gathered up a core group of friends and colleagues' work to debut it all alongside my vintage and antique finds. It was a huge success. Click here to read more!

LOCATION AND HOURS

LOCATION

a rolling stone gathers no mossThe warehouse / showroom is in New York City.315 East 91st Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues.Keep up with new finds and flea market pop-ups through social media.

HOURS

shop 24/7 on my 1stdibs storefrontContact me for an appointment in NYC.May, July and September find me in Brimfield.Sign up for my email to be first to know about fresh finds, sales and more!

Connect and Shop with HKFASHOP HKFA ON 1STDIBS‘The Most Beautiful Things On Earth’ are at your fingertips on the gorgeous 1stdibs site. Click here to visit the 20th Century by HKFA storefront on 1stdibs and see what’s mine now and should be yours with the press of a button!

SHOP THESHOWROOMfor your favorite vintage, modern, mid century and antique finds. As they say, a rolling stone gathers no moss... so the showroom is always on the move.

WHERE TO SHOP WITHHKFABuying and selling the rare and the sublime in my booth, D33, in Heart-O-The-Mart in Brimfield every May, July and Spetember or in my booth, 34, at the Antique and Design Center of High Point every April and October -click herefor the link to the event.READ ABOUT HKFAin the Patriot Ledger by clicking here, and in the Weymouth News by clicking here, and in the Weymouth News again by clicking here, and in the New York Times by clicking here, and in Philly Current Magazine by clicking here.